Hopper for storing bins



' 0 G. A. ROCKBURG HOPPER FOR STORING BINS Fild Oct. 16, 1925 ATTORNEYSPatented Nov. 2 1926.

ii-came rice.

GEORGE AJROGKBURG, 0F MILWAUKEE, WIESCONSIN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0JOHN G. KLEIS'I, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

HOPPER FOR STORING IBINS.

Application filed October 16, 1925.

This invention relates to hoppers for storing bins.

l/Vhen delivering material stored in bins having ordinary hoppers orspouts, the center and upper portions of the material in the bins passesout before certain of the lower portions are delivered.Consequently,.when bins are continually replenished and rarely emptied,certain of the grain will remain in the bins for long periods of time.

Therefore, the principal object of this invention is to provide forstoring bins, a hopper designed to deliver from a storing bin, a streamof divided material, the particles of material being distributeduniformly throughout the cross sectional area of such stream, therebycausing such material to leave the bins in substantially the order inwhich the particles were received.

To more specifically state the object, the grain first received by a binwill be first delivered therefrom and the grain last received will belast delivered by reason of the peculiar manner in which the hopper,hereinafter described, operates.

A further object is to provide a spout for feeding grain into a storingbin and adapted to spread the grain in a uniform stream throughout thecross sectional area, thereby so to arrange the supply of grain with asubstan tially level surface. In so distributing the supply,accomplishment of the object first mentioned is facilitated.

Before passing on to the description of this invention, it may be wellto mention that the first and second objects can be accomplished byidentically the same device. One object being accomplished by reversingthe operation of the device from that by which the other object isaccomplished.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional elevation of a storing bin showing insection the hopper as applied thereto for delivering to and from the bina quantity of grain.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view similar to Fig. 2 showing aslightly modified form of bin and hopper.

Like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughouttheseveral views.

Serial No. 62,736.

from such bin for the reason that grain will be delivered simultaneouslyfrom all portions of the bin and substantially in the order in which itis received by the bin. It is, however, optional with the individual asto the use of such hopper as a spout for delivering such material to thebin.

The hopper H and spout S shown in Fig. 1 are identical in construction,each comprising a plurality of frusto-conical bell portions 2, 3, 4 and5, each portion having in tegral tubular sections 6, 7, 8 and 9,respectively. Each of the bell portions are substantially concentric andspaced apart to provide annular openings communicating with the space inthe bin. Each of the tubular portions are substantially concentric andspaced apart to provide annular openings each communicating withcorresponding annular openings between the bell portions, the tubes 7, 8and 9 terminating at their outer ends in a plane passing through theintegral connection of hell portion 2 and tube 6.

In applying this invention as a hopper or spout to storing bins, it hasbeen found that certain mathematical proportions should be maintained inorder that the stream of grain delivered to or from bins should beuniform throughout the cross sectional area of such bins. To illustrate:the cross sectional area A of the bin 1 shall be in proportion to thecross sectional area of the opening B between bells 2 and 3 as the crosssectional area G of the space in tube 6 is to the cross sectional areaof the opening D between tubes 6 and 7. To further illustrate, area A istoarea E as area 0 is to area F.

When a hopper of the type disclosed herein is used as a spout to delivergrain to a storing bin and the proportions indicated are maintained,such grain will be spread in the bin to form a substantially horizontalsurface on such grain. /Vhen the hopper is used to deliver grain fromthe bin and the proportions are substantially as indicated above, grainadjacent the walls of the bin will be fed therefrom at a ratesubstantially equal to the rate at which grain at the center of the binwill be fed and consequently all of the grain will be removed from thebin regardless of whether or not such grain is continually replenished.

A hopper constructed as indicated in Fig. 3 will operate insubstantially the same man ner as the hopper shown in Fig. 2. In otherwords, the geometrical shape ot a storage bin and hopper does not alterthe manner in which the hopper operates, provided the proportions of thehopper are maintained as has previously been noted;

From the foregoing description, it is evi dent that the inventiondisclosed herein may be alternatively used as a spout for deliveringgrain to a storage bin or as a hopper for delivering grain from astorage bin; that when the invention is used as a spout, the gain isuniformly spread throughout the cross sectional area of the bin; andthat when the invention is used as a hopper, the grain is simultaneouslytaken from all parts of the bin, thus preventing any of the grain fromremaining in the bin when thesupply is beingcontinually replaced.

I claim:

1. The combination with a bin for storing grain, of hopper, said hoppercomprising a plurality of concentric hopper portions each spaced fromadjacent portions to provide annular openings through which grain Inapass.

2. The combination with a bin for storing grain, of a hopper for saidbin, said hopper comprising a plurality of trusto-conical bellshapedportions and a plurality of tubular portions each associated with a bellportion, each of said bell portions and tubular portions being spacedfrom like portions to provide a plurality of annular openings throughwhich grain may pass.

3. The. combination with a bin for storing grain, of a spout adapted todeliver grain uniformly and simultaneously to all parts of said bin, anda hopper adapted to deliver simultaneously from all parts of said binadjacent said hopper, grain stored therein, said spout and hopper eachcomprising a plurality of concentric hopper portions each spaced fromadjacent port-ions to provide an nular openings through which grain maypass.

The combination with a bin for storing grain, of a spout adapted todeliver grain uniformly and simultaneously to all parts of said bin, anda hopper adapted to deliver simu taneously from all parts of said binadjacent said hopper, grain stored therein, said spout and hopper eachcomprising a plurality ot frusto-i-onical bell-shaped portions and aplurality of tubular portions each associated with a bell portion, eachof said bell portions and tubular portions being sl from like portionsto provide a pluof annular openings through which grain may pass.

5. in a device of the character described, the combination withplurality of concenirusto-conical bell-shaped sections spaced apart toprovide annular openings, of a plurality of concentric tubular portionsspaced apart to provide annular openings, each of said tubular sectionscomprising a continuation of a bell-shaped section.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination with aplurality of concentric frusto-conical bell-shaped sections spaced apartto provide annular openings, of a plurality of concentric tubularportions spaced apart to provide annular openings, each of said tubularsections comprising a continuation of a bell-shaped section, the annularopenings between adjacent tubular portions being relatively smaller thanthe annular openings between said bell-shaped sections.

7. The combination with a storingbin, of a spout for delivering grain tosaid bin, and a hopper for delivering grain from said storing bin, saidspout and hopper each comprising an outer trusto-conical bell-shapedsection and an outer tubular portion connected with said bell-shapedsection, a plurality of inner frusto-conical bell-shaped sectionsconcentric with said outer section, each of said sections being spacedapart to provide aplurality of annular openings communicating with saidbin, and a plurality of inner tubular portions each connected with aninner bell-shaped section and concentric with said outer tubularportion, each of said tubular portions being spaced apart to provideopenings having a relatively smaller area'than corresponding openingsbetween said bell-shaped sections and the inner tubular portionsterminating adjacent the plane of connection of said outer 'bellshapedsection and tubular portion, the cross sectional area of the bin spacebeing substantially in proportion to the cross sectional area of eitherof the annular openings between said bell-shaped sections as the crosssectional area of the space in the outer tubular portion is to the crosssectional area of a corresponding annular opening bet-ween said tubularportion.

8. The combination with a storing bin, of a hopper for delivering grainfrom said storing bin, said hopper comprising an outer frusto-conicalbell-shaped section and an outer tubular portion connected with saidbell-shaped section, aplurality of inner frusto-conical bell-shapedsections concentric with said outer section, each f said sections beingspaced apart to provide a plurality of annular openings communicatingwith said bin, and a plurality of: inner tubular portions each connectedwith an inner bellshaped section and concentric with said outer tubularportion, each of said tubular portions being spaced apart to provideopenings having a relatively smaller area than corresponding openingsbetween said bellshaped sections and the inner tubular portionsterminating adjacent the plane of connection of said outerbell-shapedvsection outer tubular portion connected with said,

bell-shaped section, a plurality of inner irusto-conical bell-shapedsections substanitally concentric with said outer section, each of saidsections being spaced apart to provide a plurality of annular openingscommunicating with said bin, and a plurality of inner tubular portionseach connected with an 111- ner bell-shaped section and substantiallyconcentric with said outer tubular portion, each of said tubularportions being spaced apart ITO to provide openings having a relativelysmaller area than corresponding openings between said bell-shapedsections, the cross sectional area of the bin space being substantiallyin proportion to the cross sectional area of either of the annularopenings between said bell-shaped sections as the cross sectional areaof the space in the outer tubular portion is to the cross sectional areaof a corresponding annular opening between said tubular portions.

10. The combination with a storing bin, of a spout for delivering grainto said bin, and a hopper for delivering grain from said storing bin,said spout and hopper each comprising an outer frusto-conicalbell-shaped section and an outer tubular portion connected with saidbell-shaped section, a plurality of inner frusto-conical bell-shapedsections substantially concentric with said outer section, each of saidsections being spaced apart to provide a plurality or: annular openingscommunicating with said bin, and a plurality of inner tubular portionseach connected with an inner bell-shaped section and substantiallyconcentric with said outer tubular portion, each of said tubularportions being spaced apart to provide openings having a relativelysmaller area than corresponding openings between said bell-shapedsections, the cross sectional area of the bin space being substantiallyin proportion to the cross sectional area ofeither of the annularopenings between said bell shaped sections as the cross sectional areaof the space in the outer tubular portion is to the cross sectional areaof a corresponding annular opening between said tubular portions.

11. A hopper for storing bins, said hopper comprising a plurality ofconcentric portions each spaced from adjacent portions, adjacentportions of said hopper providing at one end of said hopper an annularopening and at the other end oi": said hopper a relatively smallerannular opening communicating with the first mentioned opening.

19. The combination with a storing bin, of a hopper for said bin, saidhopper comprising a plurality of concentric portions to provide aplurality of annular openings communicating with said bin and aplurality of relatively smaller annular openings, each of said smalleropenings communicating with a corresponding first mentioned open- 111g.

13. The combination with a storing bin, of a hopper for delivering grainfrom said storing bin and comprising a plurality of concentric portionseach spaced from adjacent portions to provide at one end of said hoppera plurality of annular openings and at the other end of said hopper aplurality of relatively smaller annular openings each communicating witha corresponding first mentioned opening, the cross sectional area of thebin space being substantially in proportion to the cross sectional areaof either of the first mentioned annular openings as the cross sectionalarea of the delivery end of said hopper is to the cross sectional areaof a smaller opening corresponding to the first mentioned annularopening.

1 The combination with a storing bin, of a spout for delivering grain tosaid bin, and a hopper for delivering grain from said stormg bin, saidspout and hopper each comprising a plurality of concentric portions eachspaced from adjacent portions to provide at one end of said hopper aplurality of annular openings and at the other end of said hopper aplurality of relatively smaller a11- nular openings each communicatingwith a corresponding first mentioned opening, the cross sectional areaoi": the bin space being substantially in proportion to. the crosssectional area of either of the first mentioned annular openings as thecross sectional area of the smaller end of said spout is to the crosssectional area of opening corresponding to the first annular opening.

15. A hopper for storing bins and comprising relatively large and smallends, the relatively large end being provided with a plurality ofopenings and the relatively small end being provided with a plurality ofrelatively smaller openings each communicating with one of the firstmentioned openings, the cross sectional area of the large end beingsubstantially in proportion to the cross sectional area of either of theopenings therein as the cross sectional area of the smaller end is tothe cross sectional area of the smaller openings therein.

GEORGE A. ROCKBURG.

or hopper a smaller mentioned

